Neil Gaiman's Sandman on Netflix

[mae]

This is huge:

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/sandman-tv-series-neil-gaiman-david-goyer-a-go-at-netflix-1220761

Neil Gaiman's beloved Vertigo comic Sandman is finally coming to the screen.

More than three years after New Line's failed attempt to turn the graphic novel into a feature film, Netflix has signed what sources describe as a massive financial deal with Warner Bros. Television to adapt the best-seller into a live-action TV series. Sources familiar with the pact note it is the most expensive TV series that DC Entertainment has ever done.

Allan Heinberg (Wonder Woman, ABC's The Catch, Grey's Anatomy) is set to write and serve as showrunner on the straight-to-series drama. Gaiman, who created the ongoing monthly comic, will executive produce alongside David Goyer. Gaiman and Goyer were both attached to New Line's most recent attempts to adapt Sandman for the big screen.

Netflix and Warners declined comment as a formal deal has not yet closed. An episode count was not immediately available.

The Netflix take represents the first Sandman TV series after numerous efforts to adapt Gaiman's horror, fantasy and mythology tale about Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams, and the Endless, the powerful group of siblings that includes Destiny, Death, Destruction, Despair, Desire and Delirium (as well as Dream).

Attempts to turn Sandman into a feature film franchise started in the 1990s with Warner Bros. — the parent company of Vertigo, the former imprint of DC Comics. The project went through multiple incarnations and writers in the 1990s and early 2000s and eventually toiled away in development purgatory. Gaiman, whose work has been adapted for TV with Starz's American Gods and Amazon's Good Omens, announced in late 2013 that he was teaming with Joseph Gordon-Levitt for a feature film that wound up being set up at Warner Bros.-owned New Line. Gordon-Levitt was set to star and direct before bailing on the film following creative differences with the studio in March 2016. Eric Heisserer, the last screenwriter attached to New Line's Sandman, said in November 2016 that he was no longer involved.

"I … came to the conclusion that the best version of this property exists as an HBO series or limited series, not as a feature film, not even as a trilogy," Heisserer told iO9 then. "The structure of the feature film really doesn't mesh with this. So I went back and said here's the work that I've done. This isn’t where it should be. It needs to go to TV."

Sources say Warners, which controls the IP, took the Sandman TV pitch to multiple outlets, including corporate sibling HBO. The premium cable network did not make a play for the series, given the massive price tag attached (and likely number of other big world shows in the works), and Netflix snapped it up as the streamer continues to make an active play for massive IP that could be turned into subscriber-friendly franchises a la Amazon's Lord of the Rings and HBO's Game of Thrones.

Since parting ways with Marvel, Netflix has aggressively pursued big-name IP — like Magic: The Gathering, The Chronicles of Narnia and the works of Roald Dahl — as the streamer courts new subscribers with exclusive new takes on beloved franchises.

The Sandman deal will provide a financial windfall to Warners, which is in final negotiations for a new film and TV pact with J.J. Abrams that could be worth north of $500 million. Sources note that the studio opted to sell it to a third party in a bid to bring additional revenue to the company rather than placing it at its forthcoming streaming service. The studio will next look to re-sign prolific comedy producer Chuck Lorre as the Big Bang Theory co-creator's current deal expires in 2020.

Heinberg is repped by Hansen Jacobson; Goyer, whose TV credits include Syfy's Krypton and NBC's Constantine (both based on DC characters), is with WME and Bloom Hergott; and Gaiman is repped by CAA.

I know there's a general DC TV thread, but a) no one posts there but me, and b) peeps might not be aware this is a DC property.

Cannot wait! :panic:

[fernandito]

I'm stoked, but man this is a show that has to get everything down right for it to be great. The actors, the SFX, the script. Also I hope that it doesn't suffer the same fate as American Gods where it loses its lead creators after a season or 2 and the quality takes a nose dive that it can never recover from.

[Merlin1958]

Looks very interesting indeed!!

[mae]

Great Sandman discussion starting around 14 minutes in:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-dQppS0lzM

If they include all the spinoffs and everything, this could be an epic series!

[mae]

I mean just look at this:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-2P5cjI2VE

Can't wait to see how they translate this madness to the screen!

[mae]

https://www.cbr.com/netflix-sandman-will-follow-comic-gaiman/

While Netflix hasn't announced any major developments on its planned television adaptation of The Sandman since this past July, comic creator and series executive producer Neil Gaiman has provided some new details.

In an AMA session on Reddit, Gaiman assured fans that the adaptation would follow the same story as the universally acclaimed Vertigo Comics series, as well as cover most of the single-issue tales included over the course of the long-running title.

Gaiman also debunked previous rumors that he was involved with Joss Whedon's upcoming HBO series The Nevers though confirmed he had spent time with Whedon while the filmmaker was prepping the series as Gaiman oversaw post-production on Amazon's adaptation of his and Terry Pratchett's novel Good Omens.

Created by Gaiman, Sam Kieth and Mike Dringenberg in 1989, The Sandman became the flagship title of DC Comics' Vertigo imprint, with the main series running for 75 issues and spawning several miniseries and prequel spinoffs. Netflix announced it would be adapting the celebrated comic book property earlier this year.

The Sandman is an adaptation of the universally acclaimed Vertigo series of the same name by Neil Gaiman. The Netflix series is developed, co-written, and executive produced by Allan Heinberg, who also serves as the series' showrunner. Gaiman and David S. Goyer will both executive produce and co-write the series. No premiere date has currently been announced by Netflix.

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIYqSrfi-F8

[fernandito]

This thread reminded me that I need to get a Sandman tattoo at some point. It was the first non-superhero graphic novel series that I fell in love with.

[mae]

https://d3dfsf9oc1ojzp.cloudfront.net/original/4X/4/0/7/407e97f205c3507e18203deaf1b00c0f7ac98de0.jpeg

[fernandito]

I have no idea who Tom Sturridge is, but I'm okay with Dream being a complete unknown. Charles Dance is amazing, wish he would have played Lucifer instead of Gwendoline Christie. Holbrook should be great as Corinthian, not really familiar with the rest of the cast.

[DoctorDodge]

I'm curious to see how this will turn out. I've no idea who Tom Sturridge is either, but I'm curious to see if he'll be as good as James MacAvoy in the Audible adaptation.

Speaking of which: it's finally been announced that we'll be getting 2 more seasons of the audio series (https://variety.com/2021/digital/news/sandman-neil-gaiman-audible-second-third-seasons-1234891593/#!)! This was one of my favorite new series of last year, and it feels like it's only just beginning, so I'm keen to see where the series goes from here.

[Merlin1958]

Okay, I'm in!!! I've heard nothing but accolades for the GN so, if they don't fuck it up it should be a great series to look forward to. Any word on the streaming service or release date yet?

[fernandito]

Netflix show.

[mae]

https://about.netflix.com/en/news/the-sandman-latest-castings-and-the-stories-behind-them

Every afternoon I get an email telling me that there are “dailies” from The Sandman ready to be watched. It's the best bit of the day. Once every couple of weeks I get an email letting me know that there's a finished episode waiting for me to watch it. It's the best bit of the month.

The Sandman is being made, and it's... well, it's The Sandman. Which is the best thing of all.

You know that The Sandman is based on my comic book series of the same name. A rich blend of modern myth and dark fantasy in which contemporary fiction, historical drama and legend are seamlessly interwoven, The Sandman follows the people and places affected by Morpheus, the Dream King, as he mends the cosmic — and human — mistakes he's made during his vast existence.

You all know that Tom Sturridge (he/him) is Dream of the Endless, Gwendolyn Christie (she/her) is Lucifer, Sanjeev Bhaskar (he/him) and Amid Chaudry (he/him) are Cain and Abel, Charles Dance (he/him) is Roderick Burgess, Vivienne Acheampong (she/her) is Lucienne, and Boyd Holbrook (he/him) is The Corinthian.

But there are more parts to be announced. And I thought it would be fun to tell you about some of them, and the thinking behind them.

DEATH – Dream's wiser, nicer, and much more sensible sister. Significantly harder to cast than you might imagine (well, than I imagined, anyway). Hundreds of talented women from all around the planet auditioned, and they were brilliant, and none of them were right. Someone who could speak the truth to Dream, on the one hand, but also be the person you'd want to meet when your life was done on the other. And then we saw Kirby Howell-Baptiste's (she/her) audition and we knew we had our Death.

DESIRE – Dream's sibling and everything you want, whatever you want and whoever you are. Desire is also trouble for Dream. Families are complicated. We had barely started looking when Mason Alexander Park (they/them) reached out on Twitter, and threw their hat into the ring. We were thrilled when they got the part.

DESPAIR – Desire's twin, Dream's sister. She is the moment when all hope is gone, the bleakest of the Endless. Donna Preston (she/her) will be playing her, and her performance is chilling and sad. You feel her pain.

JOHANNA CONSTANTINE – Eighteenth Century occult adventuress, John Constantine’s great-great-great grandmother. This Sandman character became so popular that she even had her own spin-off series. I created her to fill the role that John Constantine does in the past. When we broke down the first season, given that we knew that we would be encountering Johanna in the past, we wondered what would happen if we met a version of her in the present as well. We tried it and the script was sparkier, feistier, and in some ways even more fun. So having written her, we just had to cast her. Jenna Coleman (she/her) gave us the Johanna of our dreams – tough, brilliant, tricky, haunted and probably doomed.

ETHEL CRIPPS – Roderick Burgess's love, John Dee's mother, is a small but vital role in the comics, but she became more important as we told our story. In the 1920s and 30s, she is played by Niamh Walsh (she/her): a betrayed and determined young woman seeking to survive. In the present day, now a woman of a hundred identities and a thousand lies, she's played by the brilliant Joely Richardson (she/her).

JOHN DEE – Ethel's son is dangerous. He was driven mad, long ago. Now he's out and on a quest for Truth that may destroy the world. We needed an actor who could break your heart and keep your sympathy while taking you into the darkest places. We were lucky that David Thewlis (he/him) took the part.

Now we're shooting The Doll's House, the second big Sandman storyline. It's the story of:

ROSE WALKER – a young woman on a desperate search for her missing brother, who finds a family she didn't know that she had, and a connection to Dream that neither of them can escape. We needed someone young who could make you care as she ventures into some very dangerous places. Boyd Holbrook's Corinthian is waiting for her, after all. Kyo Ra (she/her) achieves that as Rose.

LYTA HALL – Rose’s friend, a young widow mourning her husband Hector. Rose doesn't know that Hector has started showing up in Lyta's dreams, though. Or that strange things are happening. Razane Jammal (she/her) is Lyta, and she's terrific.

UNITY KINKAID - Heiress, Rose's mysterious benefactor. She has spent a century asleep. Now she's awake, having missed out on her life. She's played by Sandra James Young (she/her).

GILBERT – Rose Walker's debonair protector. A dab hand with a paradox and a sword cane. Stephen Fry (he/him) is a National Treasure, and we forget sometimes that he's also a remarkable actor. Seeing him in costume and make up on the dailies made me blink: it was as if the comic had come to life.

MATTHEW – Dream’s trusted emissary. A raven. I expected our animals to be CGI, and was both taken aback and thrilled when the dailies started coming in, and there was Dream talking to... well, a raven. But ravens don't really talk. The question was, could we find an actor who could make you care about a dead person who was now a bird in the Dreaming – one who isn't certain what's going on, or whether any of this is a good idea? And could we find a voice performer who was also the kind of Sandman fan who used to stand in line to get his Sandman comics signed? The answer was, we could if we asked Patton Oswalt (he/him). And Patton was the first person we asked, and the first person we cast, the day before we pitched The Sandman to Netflix.

Of course, there are more delights and nightmares cast than I've listed here, and we have a few more secrets up our sleeves. I can't wait until you can start watching.

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fK-Bl7gZ9s8

[fernandito]

Sandman has a very special place in my heart so I really, really hope this is great.

Good Omens was entertaining enough but I didn't love it the way I was hoping for.

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBXqrBl6pEo

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWJTB6FPVaA

[fernandito]

Fuhhhhhhhh I'm so excited for this! The Sandman changed my perception of what graphic novels could be.

I know there were others before it, but when I read that series specifically graphic novels for me went from being about superhero panels with POW!, ZAM! to 'prestige' story telling that would soon stand toe to toe with any other medium.

If Netflix is to capture half of what made that series magical we'll have a damn good show to binge.

[Merlin1958]

:panic::panic::panic:

[ICry4Oy]

I've never read any of the comic books but this looks interesting!

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83ClbRPRDXU

[fernandito]

That trailer was fantastic. It is Netflix tho, so I'll reserve judgement until after I've seen a few EP's.

First impressions were strong though...

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3e54llvV_tc

[OldCrow88]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3e54llvV_tc

That was awesome! Love the trailer, love hearing Neil's commentary even more.

[fernandito]

One more week left! :)

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Fyja48qK2g

[fernandito]

Always makes me nervous when we're a couple of days off from the premiere and there's no general consensus on the internet yet. It always reeks of damage control...


:(

[fernandito]

It's live action. There are some trippy sequences though, so I imagine you'll get cartoony segments here and there.

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWtVFKtytaQ

[craigobau]

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/aug/05/the-sandman-review-neil-gaiman-has-created-2022s-single-greatest-hour-of-tv-drama

[fernandito]

IGN gave it a glowing review. Stoked to watch it this weekend!

The Sandman: Season 1 Review - A dream of an adaptation (https://www.ign.com/articles/the-sandman-season-1-review-netflix)

[fernandito]

Guys... I binged it all in one day, and I hardly EVER binge watch anymore. Guess you could say it was everything I dreamed for.

It's not a perfect show by any means, but it does an amazing job of honoring the source material.

And that dude that plays Morpheus? Was plucked from the pages using dark magic like in EP 1, and placed on the screen. He's amazing. Bravo Gaiman and team!

Now to wait 2 years for Season 2 :cry:

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFfyRr8vm7U

[Merlin1958]

This show is fucking AWESOME!!!!!! Bonus episodes? be still my heart!! lol lol